Juniors / F2s

Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties

More Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties

The Seventies

The Early Days

Some Replicas and Restos

Automotive Oddments

Some Hot Rods

Early British Drag Racing

Links

Approx. 250 "Junior 10" / F2's

Tough little racers for not much money 

Look for the   labels --- they may be scattered randomly throughout the page.

 September 2010:  Jack Kitchen #750 was a stylist; see his trademark opposite-lock arms and elbows as he throws his car into the corners.  Today at 81, Jack can look back on six years of racing, 1967-72, followed by a spell of scrutineering.  With his son Tony, who sent the following photos, he rarely missed a meeting and still stays in touch with some of the old bunch.  On parade:  Jack Kitchen 1 in an 'old-school' car; and Jack Kitchen 2., riding his low-slung cut-n-shut special.
Jack cutting up the inside of #742, Martin Brand from Whaplode, Lincs.  Neck and neck with 01, who might be Chick W.   Jack demonstrates his right-hand-down-a-bit inside Howard White's 627 car. Crunch goes the old-school car into a fence.
Flat-out spraying shale in his Topo-bodied car.  Ouch, as Jack exits his overturned car --- at Mendip maybe?

• 118 (N.Ireland number) is Fleming Bell.
• 511 is the late Howard Cole from Crowland
• 559 is Dave Chalkley
• 568 is Pete Beckenham and bro Stuart 618
• 569 is Malc Venn from Bristol
• 583 is ex-champ Dave Brown back to red top status; and Dave himself  [BriSCA Annual]
• 598 is Ivor Harding, scrap merchant from Liskeard; here he is at Newton Abbot in 1970.
• 598  Ivor's photo smiling from a BriSCA Annual
  
• 652 "the pink 'un" Fiat 600-based is Ted Anderson
• 693 is Allan Young's long-bonnet special; and here's Allan as a red top at Newton Abbot in 1970.
• 699 is  John Paddock
• 741 is John Cherry
• 753 is Stan Green

 August 2010: An exception to my usual "BriSCA-only" scope, here are two photos of the late Leslie Hobbs, who raced Spedeworth all over the South-East in the early 1970's.  Leslie's son Graham kindly sent me these photos a couple of years back, and I lost in my files until today!  Leslie's long-

 

 August 2010:  The Boston, Lincs track is alas no more, but here is Trevor Webb #318, very pleased with his chequered flag. Photo from William Smith collection.

• 507 is Bernard House's blue top from St. Austell; here he is in August 1972 in his Goodman-built car.
• 508 is the red top of  Harry Collins, a haulage contractor from Launceston ('70)
• 516 is red  top Keith Knott from Truro ('70)
• 528 from Salisbury is the very business-like special of Johnny Pomeroy: and another of his cars below; no, it's not a funnel on his roof, that's the power station's cooling tower.

• 538 is Pete Weekes, then a mechanic from Newton Abbot.
• 547 is Bill Goldthorpe's Mini-bodied racer
  
• 549 is yellow top Neil Johnson from Plymouth ('70)
• 552 Dashing Dave Chisholm, soon to be world champ in F1
  
• 554 is John Holley, a flooring contractor from Fordingbridge, Hants. below:

• 554 again, in April 1972, still a red top, John Holley.
• 554  John Holley himself  [BriSCA Annual]
  
• 562 is another red top, Richard Doidge ('70)
• 563 is Dennis Harris's blue top (Aug 1972)
  
• 564 is Rory Wheeler, looking very un-chuffed in his car!
  
• 565 is Walter Bovey, the bearded farmer from St. Austell, and again here.
• 566 is Terry Harris's yellow top.
  
• 567 is Mike Gale's blue top, pitted next to Howard White
• 572 on the trailer is St Austell blue-top Reg Hawkin
  
• 584 is red top Selwyn Pook, another red-top Cornishman ('70)
• 599 is Brian Mills, C grade
• 602 is Ted White's blue top (Aug 1972)
  
• 607 is another C grade, Norman Butcher
• 611 is red-top ('70)  Nick Edwards
• 611 Nick again, but two years later on with a blue roof and we have to say a 'basic' body.
  
• 613 is Ray Lines from Southampton and his buddy George Kneller ('70)  Ray became promoter at Weymouth's Radipole Lane track in about 1973, and George's son Gary Kneller earned pocket money by selling Stock Car Magazine and programmes there. Ray joined the Veterans in more recent years, and his son races F2's today. Thanks to Gary Kneller for this background.
• 613 Ray Lines again, in April 1972
  
• 627 the famous Howard White, red top from St. Albans. In April 1972, Howard again in a Higman car.
• 627 Howard White, from the BriSCA Annual of 1973
  
• 631, from Plymouth, and looking like his blue-top tangled with the Spanish Armada, is Brian Glynn.
• but in August 1972, #631 was worn by C grader Derek Groves.
• 632 in August 1972 is white topper Pete Snell
• 635 in  August 1972 is white-topper Nick Coles
• 639 is Bodmin racer Brian Sanders
  
• 642 is Pete Poole from Bedford.
• 651, one of the racers who moved F2 design forward, Billy Batten from Liskeard, below:

• and another of Batten 651, on this day using a Nick Edwards car

• 655, John Peet takes a break in the sun.
• 657 is Steve Branstom, showing some neat 'wedge' sheet metal mods
• 661 blue topper in 1972 is today's Heritage racer Dave Wycherley
  
• 662 is Mick Avery
• 663 is Pete Jones
• 665 is Roy Hinton from Swindon
• 671, and another wonderful Cornish name, Denzil Trennery from Newquay
• 673 on track is Tony Slocombe chased by 704 Pete Vincent; and here's Pete Vincent again
• 673 another shot of Tony, who was from Chudleigh
• 677 is Austin Travail
• brothers Cliff (688) and Gordon (687) Maidment, from Southampton
  
• 689, a well-liked character, a world champ who raced for many years, the great Johnny Marquand of Notter Bridge
• 691 Nat Barkwell customized his bodywork this way, and that way. Nat was from Dunchideock, [pop. 262] and there's a prize if you can pronounce that.
• 692 is the compact little special of Charles Williamson, and that exhaust trumpet must have sounded good: below:

• but two years later, 692 was worn by yellow top Vic Jackson
• 703 is Bernard Haynes, who also hammered that then-popular wedge in the Topolino roof --- although if you were careful with your paint line, you could mimic a Topo roofline on other bodies. 
• 705 is Keith Trennery, brother of Denzil
  
• 708 is Geoff Brown from Paignton
  
• 716 is Mick Whittle from Hinckley
• 734 is Eddie Cunnew, son of pioneer Ted Cunnew of the famousCunnew clan from Keysoe, Beds.
• 734 again, as a blue top in summer 1971 at Newton Abbot; Eddie at one time raced under 727.
  
• 739 is Torquay's Brian Thompson
  
• 735, nicknamed "Wiggy", is red top Cecil Bennett from Millbrook; and here he is in summer 1971 with a blue roof
• 743 is Andy White, a White-top!
• 744 is Roger Hollingshead, wearing a red-top in his borrowed Goodman car
• 745 is Steve Brown in 1972, with a yellow top beauty
• 746, also in August 1972, is yellow top George Powell.
  
• 752, next number in line, is Mick Blake sitting in his blue top
• 753 is Victor Whittingham --- was the roof 'wedge' there to cover the roll bar, or was it a fashion?
• 755 is Bob Turton's Ford bodied car
  
• 760 is Dave Symes from Gosport
• 770 is Martin Farrell [1970 photo] from Bristol and Plymouth, and again later:

• and 770 for the third time, in April 1972, with a "film star face" scowling from the left ---.
• 772 is Bill Fisher, with a hastily-beaten sheet metal bonnet
• 777 is Brian Ellard
• 782 is Eric Bratherton
• 795 is Tommy Pitcher, car salesman from Christchurch
• 798 is Bill Small from Carnon Downs nr Truro, with "cool" vent holes cut in the body (copied by others), below:

• Another shot of a Bill Small car --- and one from late summer 1970, based on Austin A30 bodywork.
• 799 is Ron Wood from Bridport
• Yes, he's here too --- you're just waiting for #800, Roy Goodman, then coach driver from Lutterworth.
• 812 is Dave Beer from Ottery St Mary
  

Moving on to 1971/2 and 1976, Kevin returned to Newton Abbot and found these guys ready for action, again in numerical order of racing number:

• 155 is a strange number (Gary Kneller's comment) for a Junior F2 --- and it had a non-standard roof colour, and fairly massive rear tires for a Junior, --- AND a very non standard exhaust worthy of a Land Rover Defender.  Anyway, that's Alan Paine. Anyone know more about this mystery car's setup?
• 519 is Ralph Bruce, who also raced at Brafield against Dave Chisholm in F2
• 528 from Bristol, shown below, is Eric Weeks's handsome chunky car.

• 529 is Jeff Brown's white top, with the exhaust blackening the Topo body.
• 531 belongs to farmer Nick Prouse
• 533 is a great atmospheric photo of a low-slung racer, alone in the landscape; Clive Wilcox
  
• 535 is Ray Williams (one of three racing brothers) from Southampton ---
• and 546 is Mike Williams from Callington [no relation]
• 557 is Neil Middle from Taunton, and here he is again with the low "ground effects" body and chassis.
• 560 is Ray Johnston's radically narrowed and sectioned Ford Pop
  
• 570 is Mike Archer from Barnstaple, and here is Mike's Topolino again.
• 579 is Roger Butt's mini based yellow top
  
• 582 shown below is Barry Moore, draughtsman and postman from Ipplepen, Devon:

• 583 is Dave Brown from Looe, and, wait for it ---
• one month later Dave takes the World Final checkers! Dave followed the unusual trade of wig making.
• 588 from Barnstaple is "Tiny" [Martin] Saunders
  
• 591 is Dave Hill from Torquay, with friends; what you'd have to call your basic tin bashing job
  
• 592 is Jerry Williams, brother of Mike, from Callington, in Cornwall
• 594 is Rodney Avon's white top; new bodywork, modern inclined shicks, interesting rad protection; no dents yet!
  
• 597 is Bernie Perry's mini with a thoroughly-hammered bonnet
• 599 is the car of C grader Roger Legge, sporting an inverted airfoil on the roof
  
• 600 is the beautiful car of Bournemouth's Tony Norton  and again from 1970.
• 602 is Ted White's C grade car
  
• 603 is Norman Pavelin's yellow top on the trailer
  
• 612 below is George Kneller's full-bodied Topolino, from Southampton, below. George, a motor mechanic, raced from the very beginning of Junior F2's, under #712, in a Y model Ford, which he sold on to John Searle from Hythe, nr Southampton, who raced it under 697 at Bristol and Brafield.  George raced at Southampton, Ringwood, Plymouth, Newton Abbot, St. Austell, Brafield, Rayleigh, Stoke, Swindon, Bristol, and Weymouth, and retired from racing as a blue-top in 1976.  The long drives towing th stock car wore out two Hillmans, one of which was "recycled" into an F2 car by the Williams brothers.  George's son Gary went everywhere, he and his broher sleeping in the Minx and dashing around the pits with a watering can for radiators.  George's wife Doreen did her share of races in the "Powder Puff Derbies" put on by promoters like Gerry Dommett and John LaTrobe at Swindon, Brafield, and Ringwood.  Doreen took Johnny Marquand's fast car out and won a race, and was so quick that at Brafield she was handicapped half a lap so that she came second to Steve Bateman's wife. At 82 years of age, George Kneller still tinkers with cars, and with buddy Ray Lines never misses a Poole Pirates speedway night on Wednesdays --- you can't stop those old guys.  George's son Gary provided this info.

• 614 is Ray Price's well-proportioned Topolino
• 615 is Ray Courts, from Torpoint, Cornwall
• 616 is the late Ron Sloggett and Trowbidge buddy 675 Terry Trew
• 618 is Stuart Beckenham, Pete Beckenham's brother
• 640 is B-graded Ron Brown
  
• 653 is Andy Morris, bringing his 'extended' Mini all the way down from Doncaster, and who still racing in 2000.
• 653 again, in 1972, Andy Morris's B grader in Ford Pop clothing and good-sized tires.
  
• 654 is Steve Hibben; the driver's headgear does not match the helper's summer dress code!
• 657 is Steve Brantom's radically low cut special
• 667 shows Billy Batten's then-blue top car, and a smiling photo of Billy Boy himself  [BriSCA Annual]
• 667  Billy gets it sideways at Newton Abbot  [BriSCA Annual]
• 668 is Ivor Frost
  
• 670 is another blue-top, that of John O'Dell, evidently unafraid of the costly Weber twin choke carb swallowing dirt
• 678 was raced by Len Pearce when he wasn't busy signwriting for several top Cornish drivers
  
• 704 is Pete Vincent, who also raced at Brafield
• 714  appears on two different  Adrian Booth cars  (1) and  (2).   Adrian also raced under # 819
• 714  Adrian Booth himself on the left  [BriSCA Annual]
  
• 721 is the Topolino of Brian Hook, who may be the suntanning gent in the background
  
• 728 is Graham Bunter from Sherborne; and here is Graham's car a few years earlier, at Newton Abbot.
• 731, Gilbert Farr, has his twin carbs free to suck in all the dirt!
• 750 is Jack Kitchen looking rough and tough
  
• 751 is Brian Smith from Bath (son Gary races today)
• 751 is Brian Smith's chunky-looking red-top in 1970 --- is the boot line a Renault 4CV rather than a Topo?
• 754, in 1970, is Mike Glover from Tavistock
• 755 is David Hart's "not-quite-Topolino
  
• 763, also in 1970, is Peter Carne, a B-grader
• 765 is Southampton's Nick Falcon with a mixture of Popular bodywork including a cooling tower for its roof ----
• 765 again in April 1972, wearing a pretty basic tin top.
  
• 766 in 1970 is someone famous in the F1 wars, Tony Allen
  
• 778 is wizard mechanic and builder Colin Higman from Menheniot. and here is the car that Colin built as a copy of Todd Sweeney's famous Spedeworth special.  Here's Colin Higman himself  [BriSCA Annual]
• Here's Colin again, a red top back in 1970 at Newton Abbot
• 779 is Chris Chidzey, a neatly-narrowed body fit for a car show.  Handsome car.
• 780 is Kelvin Harris looking modern and fast
  
• 782 in 1970 is white-top Dave Bowden
• 784 also in 1970 is Ian Illman, star grader buckling up in his Topo, from Heathfield; I recognize Dunlop SP tyres on the front.  784 again, in 1971, a Mini body this time, but still a star-grader.  (Kevin Crabtree #506, the kind donor of all these photographs, raced an ex-Illman car in 1975.)
• 794 below is Dave Gibson's "sit-up-straight" blue top; one of the "Beds & Herts" gang, it appears later on this page at Brafield under #785.

• 800 has to be Roy, doesn't it?
  
  

St. Austell --- what with speedway in the early years, the plastic-domed "Eden World" for eco idealists, and stock cars too, this Cornish riviera town has been busy.  Kevin took some photos there in spring-summer 1971:

• 529 is yellow roof Anthony Pooley's stylish cut-and-shut Ford Pop
• 575 is Alan Barriball
• 605 is Brian Rostock
• 611 is Nick Edwards, a car he loaned to Billy Batten in 1970; and another shot of Nick's 611
• 617 is the youthful Mike James, 17 years old; not a bad pastime when you're a teenager
• 649 has those same "vent ports" as Bill Small's car: the Ford Pop of Ron Oliver
• 672 is Peter Baines
• 682 is Roger Powell
• 763 is yellow-roof Fiat of  Pete Carne
  

Smeatharpe Stadium was later a Roy Goodman development.  Three photos:

• 506 is --- handsome shaggy mystery man --- aha, Kevin Crabtree photographer and racer, himself.
• 591 is Robin Pearce's Bunter-built car, beside 553 the car of lanky Cornishman Mike Nancekivell from St. Germans
• might as well see another shot of Mike N's 553, at Newton Abbot in 1970.
  
• 656 is the Sid Collings [ex-Colin Higman] car

Then, back at Roy Goodman's workshop:  716 Mick Whittle, and 800 Roy's car one more time. And in 1970 at St. Austell,    693 is Allan Young parked next to Roy Godman's 800.  
Finishing with an old b/w photo of Roy Goodman in 1966 running under 163, and circulating at Plymouth's Pennycross Stadium.

After all those, again, drop me a line if anyone has more info on any of those West Country racers: spratton@hotmail.com
 
Bit of history about Newton Abbot and those cooling towers you often see in the background of the photos; For 50 years the skyline of Newton Abbot was dominated by a power station and its giant cooling towers.  Built on Jetty Marsh in 1924, and demolished in 1975-76, the site is now a nature resereve, though the old surplus slag is still around and used to level sports pitches, etc.  Just call me Mister Wikipedia.

Thanks to Kevin Crabtree, ex-F2 and Heritage racer, for digging up this history; over 100 photos --- my keyboard is smoking.

 
The South Devon HERALD EXPRESS editor Guy Henderson describes just one highlight of Trevor Redmond's on-the-ball promoting at Newton Abbot: some students from nearby language schools began attending the races there.  When quick-thinking Redmond spotted that the two schools had different colours (red-and-white and blue-and-white), he had the brilliant idea of encouraging some banger racers to paint their cars in one or other colour scheme --- with the result that BUSLOADS of language students began travelling to the track to cheer on "their" cars.  Today's promoters could take a lesson from that ---.

 

What a gem. This early Ford raced the tarmac at Brafield and I snapped the photo in 1963 when Danny Bassett was both National and European points champion.   "Juniors", later renamed F2, provided red-hot racing with  side-valve engines and maybe a couple of SU carbs bolted on.    Danny [actual name Dennis] was from Woolwich, London, a larger-than-life "character" who was always grinning, and I hear he had done some wrestling too.  Danny was to die tragically  in January 1964 in the English Channel, with the mysterious loss of the motor yacht "Christine", sailing at midnight  from Ramsgate.  The incident was later the centre of a legal case over seaworthiness, and a coroner's inquest in Dover, amid various conflicting stories and gossip in the press about the ill-fated voyage;  not the only time the world of stock car racing has been touched by whodunnit rumours.

March 2010:  Forty-six years on, Danny's niece Linda still remembers him as her " favourite uncle", who was known to pals as a loveable rogue, touring the tracks with his racing buddy Maxie Bacon, also from Plumstead.  Nudge nudge, I'm sure it ain't true, but: Danny once came to the rescue of a racer whose Junior 10 axle had sheared, and within a few minutes produced and fitted a replacement.  Danny left the stadium early, but at the end of the evening, a lone spectator car was seen sitting axle-less in the parking lot ---- just a coincidence. 

Danny's last car went to Eddie Asling, but his first had appeared at the very beginning: New Cross in April 1954, alongside his friend Pete Tucker [who, for Linda, autographed a copy of his "Thrill of the Century" with a dedication in memory of Danny].  Along with the national headlines of the Daily Sketch, Linda has kindly sent two touching photos of Danny's headstone, with a typically generous spread of wreaths from the stock car community. 

May 2010: Graham "Tiny" Tabor remembers the carefree days at the Cunnews' caravan settlement at Keysoe, Beds., noisily located close to the end of the RAF Thurleigh runway, and a collecting point for racers --- Danny Bassett was one --- converging on Brafield and Coventry.   "Stock car heaven."   Graham has many memories of people helping each other out and working long and hard to do so, even if they'd been fencing each other the day before.  (Danny Basset's car once had a spare engine installed in it while it was on a transporter travelling to Brafield, and was fixed in time for Danny to pick up a 2nd place.)  Ted and Doll Cunnew were adored by the stock car community for their unhesitating help and generosity to one and all --- caravans for sleeping, tools and parts for cars, and mass breakfasts -- Doll sometimes cooking for 30 hungry drivers and mechanics. (Tiny Tabor had 'grown up around engines' and once built Jaguar engines for the famous Lister-Jaguar outfit in Cambridge, and later moved to the US and built racing engines for NASCAR's Childless Racing team.)

May 2010: a series of then-rare colour photos from 1962 at Brafield: Flippin' 'eck -- those Juniors gave us a lot of light-hearted fun.  Turn 1 saw this one flippin' over:

and here below 766's driver Doug Barber is watching 627 on its back and 744 Len Field stalled across the track:

Chick Woodroffe and Don Roomes ended up with a dead tie in the Brafield points title; here is their lap of honour before a one-on-one match race decider --- which Chick won.

"Junior Jam":  One reason those terraces were packed on a Sunday was that, with Junior 10's / F2s racing, everyone knew SOMETHING was going to happen on every corner.  Happy days.

Below: Roy Goodman 163 (I'm sure the longest career in British stock cars) being towed. Remember plastic macs?  Looking at the crowds in these photos, over the 48 years since they were taken, ---  were there more "family mums and dads" and grandparents of mature years than we see at today's races?  It was after all a Sunday afternoon out, including "a nice drive in the car" which was then becoming a pleasant novelty for many people in 1962.  

: Pioneers at New Cross. Friday July 20th 1962 saw a big Johnny Hoskins promotion. Fan Graham Cox, who was there that night, kindly scanned the programme, results written in [note: high-resolution, large jpg files].
 Front and back covers;  pages 2-3 with driver list;  pages 4-5 with results;  and pages 6-7 points standings and adverts.
Oops, look who else was there that night:

April 2010:  Bob The Byfield Basher, #98 Bob Laurie shown here is pretty typical fashion in  Brafield's first-turn fence.  [This was 1962, photo courtesy "Stonemason", a veteran fan who has often helped me build this site. ] Bob, Brian, and Cecil Laurie were farming brothers from Byfield near Daventry.  Here are two more photos of Laurie's car.

  March 2010: From a Summer 1967 Hednesford Hills newsletter, not an F2/Junior, but awfully similar to Danny B's --- it's a pioneering  hot-rod with an 1800cc MG motor, and hot rod fans will know who raced under 00 --- Martin Morris, son of promoter Bill Morris (thanks to Trevor Chater who not only recognized the car but watched Martin race it)  [scan from David Hughes]

Two Junior racers, and 684 is John Lynes who took part in a "Stock Car Racing School" at Brafield, described in the SENIORS IN THE SIXTIES section.  The 688 car is Brian Cook, and both photos are from a Brafield programme scanned by Russ Thomas.

March 2010 continued: "It's a Small world" as they say --- just a week or so after loading the John Lynes photo above, Nigel Harradine (featured just below by pure coincidence) e-mailed to say that he raced John Lynes's last BriSCA F2 car; Nigel had known John through work, travelled and helped him out with the stock car, and eventually took over the car.  John Lynes had a lucky angel even before he raced BriSCA, surviving a massive road crash that put his steering wheel up to the roof ---.

 January 2010: Ex-racer Nigel Harradine is the website's "first-footer" in the new decade, so thanks Nigel for these Junior F2 snapshots from mid-sixties Brafield.  First three shots from 1965 of Bill Barker 681 getting stuck in (Gordon Aucott somewhere in there), then #230 Johnny Allen who backs out safely, and then Bill escaping as two more cars pile into the mess (163 Roy Goodman, and perhaps that's Chick Woodroffe with him).  In a separate incident at the same turn,  car #514 of Gordon Fisher clips the RSJ while #756 scoots past, and finally 501 hits the fence.  Hot rods were a new formula in 1965, and unlike today's "cookie cutter" specials, here we see a Morris Minor, a Lotus Cortina, and a 105E Anglia.

And since Nigel sent those shots of other drivers' cars, here is his 1973 "Modstox" racer, #314, and a rear view of the Mini-bodied missile, showing his proud membership of the numerous "Hatfield gang".

 July 2010: another 1965 Brafield photo just arrived from Nigel H., showing  #502, who is probably Mike Taylour [sic] from Rugby  (Thanks Russ Thomas) although Bob Plowman from Bournemouth once had that number --- but in those days racers were in and out of BriSCA Junior licences so often that you can't be sure.  Anyway, as Pete Tucker says in his book, you simply could not beat the 1960's Junior 10's for sheer fun and action and laughs and excitement, at little cost and mostly no harm done.

 February 2010:  If you've watched ESPN, Speed Channel, NBC, CBS, etc, you have probably seen Derek Daly presenting motorsports programmes.  If you've followed Indianapolis and Formula One GP racing (March, Williams, Tyrrell), or F3 racing, you know that Daly raced internationally for over 17 years. He now runs successful racing academies and motivational seminars, and has authored a book.  At the start of 2010, Rick Young took a snapshot of a Daly presentation at a motor sports show in Canada --- when Daly projected a slide of his very first competition car, which he raced at the age of 16 in his native Ireland  --- and here it is!

 April 2009: Juniors at Brafield from 1962, from of Trevor Richings [Rod Dore's mechanic]. 

Fearless Freddie Funnell 58 turns the corner while Eddie Cunnew's 727 flips in front of Fred's Hot Dogs. No wonder the crowds loved Junior racing: three rollovers, and that's just what's visible in this shot; the 140 car going past was "Slick" Slater.  You want proof of the popularity of stock-car racing in 1962?  Here's a full house watching Chick Woodroffe's #409 get into a tire smoking spin.  Quite a few drivers raced both Junior and Senior cars, often under the same number; here is Rugby's Ted Elliott [cited as "Eddie"] in his upturned #444.  John Miles in 672 was not left with much car to hook up, after this incident.  Here is a distant blurry photo of Gordon Aucott, I estimate one second before he got a stiff neck.  Lastly, a mystery photo, no names, but it may be of Senior cars, and may be 1950's, as the one on the left looks a bit like Leighton's Chrysler, but --- the rest look like skinny Junior cars.  Any guesses?

 March 2009:  

Thanks to Russ Thomas, one-time "deejay" at Brafield Stadium, some tasty shots of the Juniors in full 'wrecking' mode: Willie Cowper #553 being rolled by dashing Dave Chisholm #552, back in 1963.    Here is one of Willie Cowper #553, enjoying a quick puff while his mechanic dives into the car.  Okay, education time, thanks to Brafield's deejay Russ Thomas who knew everyone:  stock car racer Willie Cowper was descended from the 18th century Northants poet and hymn writer William Cowper.  If you recognize the phrase GOD moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform, that's from a Cowper hymn.  Variety is the spice of life  or  Monarch of all I survey?   All from William Cowper poems  200 years ago. Sermon over, folks! 

Here's a photo that Rick Young sent me years ago, which I just found again. Here are some of his mates' motors in the pits at Brafield: Packed in the truck is the Tony Southam car from Haddenham, behind it is # 625 John Gray from Oundle, and nearest the camera is the stripey part-Renault 4CV car 773 of Mick Whitney, another of the Beds-'n'-Herts posse.

January 2009:   Thank you, Brian Clements.  Brian is still in touch, 40 years on, with F2 racers like Mick Whitney, Tony Southam and Kenny Horne.  Brian names the "waltzing five" drivers in the above photo as  #500 Con Lambert [Lewisham], 689 Johnny Marquand [Saltash], and 735 Cecil Bennett [Millbrook].  Any offers on #528?  In the Clements collection is this centre spread of an Abbey Stadium programme from April 1963, which shows Con, Johnny, and Cecil.

Also from Brian, the cover of Swindon's 1963 World F2 Final programme; and from its back cover, Chick Woodroffe and Jock Lloyd coming together in fine style, as they did for so many years at so many tracks.  As Brian Clements says, the great thing about Junior / F2's is that everyone, drivers and spectators alike, felt it was "their" formula.

Big headache coming for this nose-diving car, as # 206 hurries past; Walthamstow or Harringay in 1964.  This Swindon programme from 1964, thankfully, gives all five names from a night-time race. 

Waiting for the flag to drop in 1962 at New Cross stadium; 833 is Laurie Stott from Beckenham, 714 is Brian Seynour from Southampton, 649 is Jimmie Weston.   This Lewisham SE14 oval, adjacent to the fearsome Milwall Football Club, was for years home to speedway, had a 26,000 capacity, and filled it to overflowing for Britain's first stock-car race in 1954 (what an optimistic time that must have been), it was sadly left to go derelict and demolished in 1975.

Junior F2's at Hednesford in 1963, and spot the escaped wheel coming into the picture..

At Matchams Park nr Ringwood, Chick Woodroffe's distinctive # 1 car is one of the waltzing five , and 689 is Johnny Marquand, with #500 being Lewisham's Con Lambert; 1964 photo.  As I often ask on this site, let me know if you can name any un-identified drivers.  

 Harringay, with cars 230 Johnny Allen and 608 Dennis Pemberton;

Car 518 at Harringay;   Car 651 Ron Williams, possibly at Walthamstow;

Twice in a row at Harringay in 1964, car 663, and 663 again here with #37 Don Evans;

Car 674 Eric Taylor from ware in the pack at Walthamstow;  More Brafield action;

Jane Douglas, a USA visitor;  Jane written up;

   February 2010: a 1964 Brafield programme photo of Jane Douglas, with a witty caption.

Chick Woodroffe wins the WF semi final at Harringay, over Bryan Hinckley, 1965;  Brafield Juniors;

Even more Brafield Juniors;  Brian Hinckley 606 does a flying attack on USAF racer Grant Ford at Walthamstow; Lambert brothers at Harringay in '64;

Women racers being interviewed at Brafield in '65.

More Harringay fun:  511 "D.Pakman" gets part-airborne, chased by what look like 627 (Howard White?) and 582 (Barry Moore?), and #616 (twin SU carbs poking out of the side)  has attacked # 652's door.

Who's going where?  662 Mick Avery chases 658 Don Blenkinsop one way while 681 and 567 head the other way.

West Ham saw 716 (Datchet's Roy Clarke) sideways while 677 is heading for it.

• Car 364 joins five others in a jam.   Cars 430, 380, 407, 401.
• Crash featuring 439, 111, 211.   Here are 531 and 586.
• Dick Hall 209 on his side.   Nasty-looking "end over end".
• Johnny who? in the fence.   Leon Smith on the hook.
• Three-car pile-up.   Unknown fence climber.
• Totalled upside-down wreck.   Car 630 upside down.
• Driver hopping out of a fire.  Mal Lindsay 602 on fire.
• Unidentified big fire.  Second photo of the same fire.

Here's Brian Hallam #623 from Sapcote with some serious crash damage. (Scan thanks to Trevor Richings). 

Courtesy of Alan Humphreys (a ton of Alan's Spedeworth archive photos are 'stacked up' in my cyberspace waiting to be loaded here), two shots of Barry Van Den Oetelaar's cars.  Barry originally raced Senior / F1's, but then moved on to both racing AND promoting Spedeworth.

Barry 1  and  Barry 2  (in that one it looks as though B. has two cars running). 

Side trip for my BriSCA site, but these hot-rod photos are amazing.  Doug Warner was racing a stock car in the late 1950's, and was a regular in Hot Rods in the 1960's.  Hot Rod World Champion (1979) Gordon Bland has sent me these.  First is Doug in his 1963 hot rod.   Gordon has rebuilt that old car to perfection, and on a sunny July Sunday in 2008 Doug climbed "back" in and ran some fast laps at Hednesford, even giving it some opposite lock --- but then Doug is only 84 years old!  Doug 1963.   New Doug 1.     New Doug 2   New Doug 3.

Gordon Bland was also Chairman of the British Stock Car Racing Supporters Club in 1968/69, and co-edited their magazine.

January 2009:  Ancient & Modern:  Gordon Bland kindly passed on this photo of the late great Bill Morris and his son Martin, in front of Doug Earner's hot-rod (before Gordon's super restoration).

Although my website is nominally a "BriSCA only" project, Spedeworth has been a major provider of top class racing for decades, and many drivers competed in both 'circuses' so I am going to select some of Alan's photos and link them here.  Oops, Dave Hinde flips.  Here's a VW Beetle # 618.  Roy Wood carried # 82, and Malcolm Paterson 107 enjoys the sunshine at Racewall.

 USAF veteran George Fennell who was based at Alconbury 1967-1970 sent this great action shot of F2 Juniors on a sunny Sunday in 1969 at Brafield.  Zooming past are Viv Harper #713 in yet another Topolino [where DID they find those Fiats?] from Wisbech, and Eddie Cunnew #734. 

   August 2010:  Viv Harper climbs out of his high-perched car on top of Brian Priddle #696. Photo kindly sent by William Smith, who lived in the same village as Harper (and Tony Wicks, and Ron Pears, AND Haley Calvert ---- was there something in the Wisbech water?)

Here is # 661 (recognized by Rick Young as Dave Wycherley from Crowland, Lincolnshire), a bit daring in bare arms.  FORTY YEARS ON, Dave Wycherley is back racing a replica of that Topolino, #661, in the BriSCA Heritage series, and his son races F2's as well.

USAF racers:  British stock-car racing benefited hugely from the participation of US servicemen from the many air bases, especially in the Midlands and East Anglia. Many are mentioned under the SENIORS IN THE SIXTIES section.  Here are some photos from Ed Bilak of the Alconbury Spartans stock-car team.  Ed, who was originally from Pennsylvania, has kept some of his mementoes from 1965-1966 and has kindly sent these:  Kings Lynn Poster;  Brafield Pass and Membership;  another pass.  Here is Grant Ford, who is also shown further down this page;  here is  Ron Shomber; and here is a super group photo, and the names are — A2c  Ed Bilak, A2c Jim Crye, A1c Clyde Nichols, A1c Mark Thomson, TSGT.Ted Janes, A3cSSGT Grant Ford, A3c James Sawyer.  This photo was in the "Photogram" Alconbury base paper from 11th March 1966. Thanks to Ed for this slice of history.

Grant Ford in a night crash — track and other car, anyone? Thanks to keen-eyed Ian "Mac" McCarthy, who pinpoints both the date and the track:  Walthamstow Stadium in 1965 — 1st October to be precise — and the 541 car entangled with Grant Ford is that of blue-grader Brian Wilcox, a Cornish driver.  Mac raced in BSCDA # 641, in Spedeworth #111, and Alwalton Superstocks #33, and still has the Walthamstow programmes for that year and that night.

 August 2009: More from Terry "Chick" Henson, and very high quality photos they are too, so thanks Mr Henson.  Brafield in July 1964 sees Chick's 177 parked in front of an "ambulance" coach.  In the far right background you can see the white 301 Senior of Dirty Dennis Burdett-Coutts on its trailer with its Austin Sheerline limousine. Two years later in June 1966 Chick is running the popular Fiat Topolino body, here shown getting attention on the centre green (with Fred's Hot Dogs in the far background of course).  Getting a nudge in turn 1, courtesy of #502.   And here's fame for you: Chick Henson introduces sixties singer "Eden Kane" to the world of stock car racing.
   
Eden Kane [born in India as Richard Sarstedt] topped the hit parade in 1961 with "Well I Ask You" , and had several top five hits, toured with Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Helen Shapiro, etc.  His career later continued in Australia and then the USA, where he still lives. Star Trek fans may recognize him as one of the pilots of the Starship Enterprise.  His brother Peter Sarstedt scored with "Where Do You Go To My Lovely?" in 1969, and another briother, Robin Sarstedt also recorded songs.  http://www.edenkane.com/index.html

Finally, a photo taken at Kings Lynn, also in June 1966, where Terry enjoys the sunshine on a parade lap, and if you enlarge the photo to look at the spectators --- suit jackets, dress shirts, smart ties --- we were not a scruffy bunch in the sixties when we went to the stock cars.

John Todd, # 631, used to build 'em, race 'em, mechanic 'em too.  Here's John on only his second outing (in 1979 ) at Brafield, having a turnaround. [Photo from Paul Huggart's book 'The Complete Book of Short Oval Racing', 1980.]  John's first race, at Skegness, earned him one whole quid, for 6th place:  the prize wouldn't make you rich, but a 6th place in a debut race was quite something.  John also used to build F1 cars, and mechanic'd for Alan Scothern for some years. 

THE INSIDE VIEW: circa 1962, the interior of a Ford E93A showing the driver wisely installed in the centre, away from the right-hand steering wheel.  And a fantastic and lucky spectator snapshot of a rather nasty F2 crash in the late 60's or early 70's: 

At this point I have removed a photo of a serious Chris Love / Eddie Cunnew crash

Below is an S.C.N cover showing a pit-full of the little 'uns ready to rumble: thanks to Diane Sutton (whose late husband Aubrey Sutton was a long-time mechanic for racer Jumbo Tustin), a colourful and busy pits scene, from  1963. The panoramic photo was actually taken by Pete "Pop" Christie, at Walthamstow Stadium.  Pete raced "Juniors" as #682, was mechanic for Bill Barker #681, and later raced Spedeworth as #59.  He was everywhere, giving a helping hand and always "boosting" the sport, and a regular columnist for SHORT CIRCUIT magazine.  Pete identified most of the S.E.London drivers visible below: 555 Nobby Lambert, 610 Ken Lambert, 643 Danny Bassett, 681 Bill Barker, 230 Johnny Allan, 738 Frankie Wooster, 651 Harry Andrews, and 629 Don Roomes who was not one of the S.E. "bunch". Thanks Pete.

Ian "Mac" McCarthy's beautiful "Superstox" car, in a cutting from a magazine. Mac helped me with some info further down the page.  Don't you wish stock-cars looked like this today —- classy, real, and sleek! Mac raced this at the Alwalton non-BriSCA track near Peterborough.  Here's another photo of the car, in the pits. [Photos originally from Alwalton racer Brian Holmes, a never-quit guy who raced into his sixties.]

This relatively modern car looks so "sixties", and its driver looks like he's having so much fun, that I'm including it here anyway.  John Rigg was an Aycliffe driver (the "race hard or go home" track), and his car enjoyed Royal Mail backing.  John 29, and Oops, postal-code advice on his sump guard, for all to see.  John tells me it has an Escort rear axle, in his words "—-as you can see" —- , (now we'll have fifty e-mails arguing which model year it was, I bet — )

Who said "Bah, humbug!"? Well, this car was nicknamed the Humbug, and you can just see the hacked-about Renault 4CV body on Mick Whitney's # 773 at Brafield.  Mick was one of the 'usual suspects' from the Haddenham & District Stock Car Club.  [Rick Young photo]. [Memory of 4CV's:  When I was at school I did an 'exchange' with a French lad, and it involved driving from Calais to the centre of France with his family of 3 plus me squished in a tiny 4CV with its deafening rear engine.] 

Thanks to Allan Wardle for these photos of his father Albert Wardle's car and career in the Scottish stock car drivers' association.  Here's an early car, with Albert and friends.  Here's Albert's very tidy red-top, note the exhaust deflector.  Membership card.  And a press clipping that also mentions Pete Dent who of course was nicknamed "Pepso" Dent (groan).  Here's a victory-lapping Albert, from a programe that predicted a 1964 championship win. Albert raced at Ibrox's White City track, up against aces like Chick Woodroffe and Jock Lloyd.  For the meticulous record-keepers and historians among you, here are some White City line-ups:  first, second.  These shots from Allan Wardle, Albert's son.  Incredibly, fans could see cars like this E-Type Jaguar, back in 1964, putting in fast laps — at great risk from that track fence.  Programmes reported that briskly-driven 10-hp Juniors could often lap faster than such powerful but heavy GT cars.

Scotty Hewitt, a  racer who competed against Jock at Glasgow's White City track in the "Junior" F2 class, before heading for sunny California.  Scotty raced under the name "G.G.Edwards", and one race is never-to-be-forgotten.  Jock Lloyd was already famous and respected, and Scotty deliberately backed down the grid to start beside Jock, who grinned across at him and called out to Scotty  "SO YOU FANCY YOUR CHANCES?"    Jock waited half a beat before taking off, and that enabled him (and the canny Scotty) to dodge the first turn carnage.  Here is Scotty . Remembering 46 years on:  "It was the best thing I could have done. I learned so much that night. I was right on his tail lap after lap, sticking with him learning his line and the way he handled that car.  I saw that on occasion he would enter turn 4 a little wider than I, so, I said to hell with it, and on the last turn of the last lap, I stuck my S70 under Jock, and it lifted, as I knew it would, but it laid on Jocks car all the way round, and I crossed the start finish a foot in front of the master.  In all the races I have run since, and won, none have stuck with me like this one. Jock came to me after the race grinning from ear to ear, shook my hand and said "If you don’t die son, you’ll be a hellova racer".  The story in [The Evening Citizen] said The "Zebra Crossing" does four laps on 3 wheels, then wins the main". 

Scotty raced under the name "G.G. Edwards" because at the time he was mechanic and pit crew for the legendary Ecurie Ecosse motorsport team run by wealthy Scottish businessman David Murray, who (true to RAC principles) strongly disapproved of stock-car racing!  Their Jag D-Types won Le Mans in 1956 and 1957.  Scotty tested their Le mans Healey and their Cooper Monaco cars.  Scotty wasn't done with racing even after he emigrated to work at a California Jaguar dealership. Over the years he has won five regional production-car championships, and is chief driver instructor for California's section of the SCCA.  Who'd have thought 46 years ago that this Glasgow youngster in a stock-car would later be rubbing shoulders with international racing stars like Innes Ireland and Stirling Moss?

Ex-racer Rick Young has kindly given me a scan of a White City programme cover.  White City programmes from Rick Young's collection include these photos of Bill Thompson, (the programme shows Ibrox was full of Thomson's!) Jock Lloyd (#131 same as his Senior), and a crowded Junior race. Here are some notes from the track and comments from Johnny Hoskins.  Lastly, two lists  (well here's the 2nd!) of drivers' names from 1962.

Thanks to Pete Schafer for this historic photo.  The very first "Junior" formula race in early 1961 at Tamworth, promoted by Sid Farndon.  Sid had been chatting to Fred Mitchell about the idea of a small cheap stock car formula, and Fred dug a Ford 10 out of his yard, stripped it, locked the diff, and had Roger Mortimer test it round Tamworth.  (Roger was Fred's bro-in-law).  Sid Farndon gave the thumbs up, and here is that car jokingly numbered 38 1/2 and painted pink, ready for the first Junior race.  Roger went on to mechanic Mitsubishi's international rally cars.  This photo came from Fred Mitchell's daughter Pauline Holden (mom to Jason "Hurricane Holden" # 38 today).  Sid Farndon himself raced Seniors under # 224, and rose to red-top status and contested the World Final at Brandon.  Thanks to Pete Schafer and to Syd F's son Steve Farndon for the info.

Now, yodel after me "I remember You-oooo —" and tell me who sang it:  Frank Ifield was not just a crooner, he had raced stox in Australia, and here he is with his F2/Junior.

Several photos of Arnie Hawes 777, from Arnie himself and also from programmes in the Rick Young collection.  My thanks to both.  Arnie was from Maulden, Beds., and for some unknown reason was nicknamed "The Mad Milkman" by Brafield's Graham Guthrie, who had a nuickname for everyone. Here's Arnie's 2nd- place record in a 'consie' at Brafield [at 25%: enlarge it]. Arnie in a pic of his car on the trailer.   Arnie's first car, plus 'the kids', both of whom grew up to race in the 1980's.   Arnie tells me that although the early Juniors were fun, they were mostly out of control and frequently demolished, and that the later cars were so much faster and easier to handle.  Heat and final wins at Brafield got these trophies, with an ex-Dave Bunt car, 1980's.    Arnie at speed in the rebodied Dave Bunt car.  And 'man at work' on his 1300 crossflow Ford lump, Cosworth pistons, dry-sumped, Holbay exhaust, steel crank, roller rockers, twin Weber 45's — 'the business!'   This next photo may be from a Sunday Times supplement article.

Keith Barber: historian, builder, racer, journalist, publisher, graphic artist, one-time Long Eaton track promoter, and 100% stock-car devotee, snapped on his victory lap in his beautiful #422 Junior at Brafield, early 1960's.

 

  July 2010:  Another photo of the Wardroppers' foray into Spedeworth 1968 in their identical cars; Doug is 55 and Alan is #500.  I believe this is Ipswich.  Photo from Gordon Bland.

  

The mad artist at work:  This car's painter was years ahead of psychedelic flower power: Ford Pop 1963/4

Dick Hawkins trying to dodge a collision coming out of a Brafield corner [DY photo]

May 2010: Thanks to Nigel Harradine for this pits photo from 1965 of Texas racer Dick Hawkins, parked beside 606 Bryan Hinckley and 83 Tommy Keep.

In the drama below, the overturned car of Nigel Harradine 717 ---cont'd:

 --- had been snagged by Norm's bumper and dragged all the way from the Brafield pits entrance — Nigel tells me that while upside down, the petrol from his upside down tank was dripping 'down' into the roof, which was having a hole ground in it by the tarmac.  "Fairly lucky escape, really" says Nigel.  Nigel retired in 1978, then retired again in the late 1980's, then again, then raced in 2006, then raced again in 2007, and this year 2008, the "retired" Nigel Harradine expects to be out on the track yet again, under #97.  This is a happy man who does not know how to stop. 

August 2009:  At Newton Abbot, in September 1971, we see Nigel Harradine's 717 parked.  The photo was taken by Kevin Crabtree, and Nigel just acquired it.

March 2009:  Nigel Harradine will be racing again in 2009 at his local Swaffham, under his old BriSCA F2 number of 717.  "I still heal prety quickly", he says --- this from a chap who was  20 years old in the 1971 photo above, and who had his share of broken ribs, etc along the way.

May 2009:  "Harry's Back" was the title of Nigel's message that carried this photo him grinning and ready for action, 'only' 38 years after the crash photo above.

Also visible in the original photo print are: 652 = Ken Horne, 773 = Mick Whitney (both Haddenham; Mick was an auto mechanics lecturer at Aylesbury College);  650 = Roy (not Ron) Innocent of Northants;  672 = Peter Baines (Lincs, and later the 3-Star promoter);  698, just visible in the pits shot = Jim Welch (Lincs, later the Spedeworth Superstox champ);  520 (man-in-the-window) = John Bush from Raglan, Monmouthshire; finally, 717 = Nigel Harradine from Hatfield, Herts.

A Brafield photo taken in 1966: #707 is Johnny Sparks (I'd pay to have a name like that.) and 611 is Nick Edwards, two racers who made the trek from Cornwall to race their F2's. Dick Young photo.

Juniors / F2s

Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties

More Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties

The Seventies

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